The DEA - you know, the department in charge of the "war on drugs" - appears to have logged billions of AT&T call records, in fact a 26-year amount, and counting. The so-called Hemisphere undertaking isn't some rusty project, either - it lifted off in 2007 and never looked back.

There is actual AT&T personnel sitting in DEA's offices, helping with the data collection and assisting with, say, tracking those "burner" phones drug dealers use, says the Sunday Times. The report is based on a 27-slide PowerPoint presentation by the DEA, meant for law enforcement officials.

The government is apparently chipping in for the expenses connected with all that snooping that goes back to phone records from 1987, and includes every call that has ever passed through the AT&T network, including from other carriers. As far as these programs go, we wouldn't be surprised if in a few days it becomes clear that Verizon and the rest of the gang are helping the DEA with the same thing, not to mention the Silicon Valley electronics communication giants.

Just the latest example of how the 4th amendment to the U.S. Constitution ceases to exist. I wonder how long it will be before the 5th amendment is similarly eliminated? What is next? The 1st amendment?

Who cares. All of a sudden people are repulsed by things taking place for over a decade, that they didn't know about up until now. Your life isn't going to change unless you have something to hide on a national security level.

How, pray tell, could one be repulsed if one does not know what is happening? What is repulsing is we don't know. If we had a say, or some information into the situation things would be taken different. And don't say voting, whether you full in bubble A or B, the same crap is going to go on.

Today they violate one of your constitutional rights and since you say who cares, tomorrow they will violate another your constitutional right, but again who cares... And one day you will wakeup without any human rights like a slave. And guess who then will be responsible for such situation? Government? No! Responsible for such situation will be people like YOU who have said "WHO CARES!".

We have been slaves for decades, to money, to the banking cartel that controls the money supply. The Federal Reserve, as is, is un-Constitutional, as the government should be the one printing money. Instead, this federal reserve, controlled by the banking cartel, prints money, creating debt and inflation, through the process known as Fractional Reserve Banking. Google that term and read about as it should appall America.

I love how everyone's excuse revolves around some analogy of handing out passwords lol. Also, drastic and unrealistic scenarios of slavery and oppression. These top secret acts were conducted under a different basis than these farfetched rebuttals of communistic displays of action and such. We live in a dangerous world, it's hard to manage national security on a global scale.

Especially when we're more globalised than ever before. I don't care how questionable this method was, simply because it was done in self-perseverance to combat acts of terrorism and cyber threats before they can enact.

They weren't mining your passwords and E-Mail history to publish your personal subscription to porn or personal information to the outside world. Whether you like it or not, these practices are common among most, if not all types of governments and federal agencies, most likely.

The no1 terrorist is the government, people are losing rights and freedoms in the name of war against terrorism and the simply take it as it comes. If US would stop trying to rule the whole world, people would hate less on the and there would be less terrorism towards it...and also the government would have less excuses. Ever since the end of the WW2 US has been waging wars all over the world.

I'm so happy you prefer a tiny bit of safety(debatable) over liberty, but if you want to trample my CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, then GTFO. You may not respect it, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let you get away with doing it. If you dislike the freedoms the constitution was created to support, then find a new home that better serves your needs and LEAVE ME THE FONK ALONE.

Yeah, why let little things like the Constitution get in the way. Who cares?
So, which rights are you ok with giving away for nothing? If they can take one, they can take more. Do not wait until they go so far to impact your personal life.

So bad things that go on for 27 years can't be bad if you only just found out?

Imagine you've been married for 15 years. Word just gets out that your wife has been sleeping around for the last 10. Are you repulsed? I'd imagine so. That's what's going on here, except for 27 years, and your phone provider is in bed with the government.

7.papss (unregistered)

Wow that's very concerning to me... We the people for the people government is just a slogan to keep the vail over our eyes. We should take back our damn country while we still have a country to take back. Our biggest asset is numbers. It seems that every government is scummy and the people of the world should take their freedom back.

Save your narrow minded view and under-educated opinion for a different reality. At least in regards to the issues regarding this country (US) sometimespeople don't always know what's in their best interest. There's a lot we don't understand when it comes to Intel and international threats at large

10.papss (unregistered)

Wait so you know exactly what they are looking for when monitoring our every move and word? You must be so much more educated than everyone on this site and our forefathers . Save my your opinion served in a fact wrapper, no one believes that being big brother to everything we do is "only" for terrorism. It's still unconstitutional no matter what spin you want to put on it.

Very narrow view you have there. You did read where it said "EVERY call"? We are talking about the DEA here and NOT National security.
Every single point you argue in this case doesnt apply. Even if it were "limited" to National Security issues, they can always use that info for something else.

Ask Lance Armstrong about all the anonymous testing he did years ago. Ended up being used against him anyway.

I would like to see how he is going to spin the DEA's spying on us as a matter of "national security"? The DEA (DRUG enforcement agency) just picks on lower forms of our society so they can never break the cycle of poverty. I mean we all know how detrimental that marijuana is to the human body, but alcohol and cigarettes aren't? But yes, clearly the DEA's benefits to society really warrant their ability to do this.........:KILLMENOW:

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, a guy who might know a thing or two about what's in our best interest, seeing as he kind of helped found the country.

Narrow-minded and uneducated? Those are adjectives to describe yourself, not papss. Are you so stupid that you don't understand what the government is doing is UNCONSTITUTIONAL? THAT MEANS IT IS ILLEGAL. Let's do the math, the TSA was created and since it's inception we have had 4 more issues that weren't averted. So, clearly that means that the unconstitutional action taken by Shrub jr. is working right? NO, it mean that no how many alphabet soup government agencies we waste money on we won't be SAFE. So I would rather take my life into my own hands than trust some POS bureaucratic government agency to collect illegal intel and make me public enemy #1 just because my views differ from theirs. (IE, Snowden). Please take your head out of your azz.

BTW, sometimes and people are two separate words. Also, enact means: Make (a bill or other proposal) law. So if you are going to insult others intellect then it's best for you to actually understand the words you use before you use them. Comprehende genius?

It's truly a sad reflection on society that we allow you to vote and drive laws in this country.

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